A new genus of the subfamily Anacharitinae (Hymenoptera: Figitidae), Acanthaegilopsis gen. n., from Comoros and Madagascar is described. Diagnostic characters of the new genus are illustrated and discussed.

Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), also known as diamondback moth, is a destructive insect pest of cruciferous crops (Talekar & Shelton 1993; Shelton 2004). The pest occurs wherever its host plants are cultivated and the global annual cost of damage and control is estimated to be US$4-5 billion (Zalucki et al. 2012). The extensive use of synthetic pesticides for control combined with the high fecundity of P. xylostella has resulted in the pest developing resistance to nearly all classes of insecticides (Grzywacz et al. 2009). Moreover, these chemicals have negative environmental implications and may affect non-target species, some of which are natural enemies of the pest.

Alien species are known to impact biodiversity and ecosystem function in their introduced range, and may be the major threat to endangered species through competitive or predatory interactions. In agroecosystems the economic costs of such impacts are considerable (Pimental et al. 2005), and are typically associated with phytophagous crop pests. While the impacts of translocated native species may also be significant, attention has generally been focused on translocations of vertebrates, where these anthropogenically-facilitated movements are more readily detected and documented (Van Rensburg et al. 2011).

The African bee genus Anthidioma Pasteels is a rare representative of the megachilid tribe Anthidiini that occurs in Namibia and the Western Cape Province, South Africa (Michener 2007). The genus was proposed by Pasteels (1984) based upon a female with long, abundant hairs and without the common yellow maculations found on the body of most anthidiine bees (i.e. Anthidioma chalicodomoides Pasteels; Figs 1-4).

This revised version of the classical textbook, Insect Outbreaks (Barbosa & Schultz 1987), is an absolute must for those interested in applied entomology, either as a book to own or to recommend for the library. The very broad approach to the topic makes the book useful for both the novice wishing to obtain a general background as well as for the specialist, expert in a specific field but needing to catch up on contemporary ideas in the broader topic. The text is well written, easy to read and presented in an interesting and accessible way.